Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Parker Road Corridor Study Hampden to E-470
Existing Transportation Conditions Report
February 2008
Submitted to
Arapahoe County 10730 East Briarwood Avenue, Suite 100 Centennial, CO 80120
Submitted by
David Evans and Associates, Inc. 1331 17th Street, Suite 900 Denver, CO 80202
Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Table of Contents Introduction...... 1 Roadway Network...... 4 Parker Road...... 4 Surrounding Roadways...... 6 Roadway Features...... 9 Shoulder and Median...... 9 Guardrail...... 11 Fence...... 12 Lighting...... 12 Design Deficiencies ...... 12 Drainage...... 14 Major Drainage Features ...... 14 Area Master Plans...... 14 Utilities...... 16 Vehicular Traffic Operations...... 17 Daily Traffic Volumes...... 17 Peak Hour Traffic Volumes...... 22 Operational Analysis ...... 22 Local Traffic Issues...... 24 Crash History...... 26 Existing Land Use ...... 30 Existing Land Use ...... 31 Agency Process ...... 33 2005 DRCOG Land Use Dataset...... 33 Area Transportation Improvements ...... 35 Transit Service ...... 37 Current Transit...... 38 Observations Related to Transit Service Productivity...... 45 Pedestrian and Bicycle Existing Conditions ...... 50 Pedestrian Conditions Along Parker Road ...... 50 Pedestrian Conditions at Signalized Intersections...... 52 Regionally Significant Bike Paths...... 59
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Appendices Appendix A – Major Drainage Features Appendix B – Traffic Count Data Appendix C – Existing Operational Analysis Reports Appendix D – Cherry Creek State Park Visitation Data Appendix E – Existing Land Use Refined Dataset Appendix F – Transit Route Maps and Schedules
Table of Figures Figure 1. Corridor Map...... 2 Figure 2. Jurisdiction Boundaries ...... 3 Figure 3. Parker Road Existing Intersection Laneage...... 8 Figure 4. Existing Roadway Features...... 10 Figure 5. Parker Road Daily Traffic Volume Counts ...... 18 Figure 6. Parker Road Daily Traffic Volume Counts ...... 19 Figure 7. Parker Road Weekday Hourly Traffic Variations ...... 20 Figure 8. Parker Road Weekday Hourly Traffic Variations ...... 21 Figure 9. Peak Hour Traffic Counts and Levels of Service...... 23 Figure 10. Parker Road Crash Summary (2002 – 2004)...... 30 Figure 11. Existing Land Use...... 32 Figure 12. Existing Study Area Employment...... 34 Figure 13. Area Transportation Projects ...... 37 Figure 14. Existing Transit Services...... 49 Figure 15. Existing Bike and Pedestrian Facilities...... 51
List of Tables Table 1. Parker Road Shoulder Treatment and Curb and Gutter...... 9 Table 2. Parker Road Median Treatment...... 11 Table 3. Parker Road Guardrail ...... 11 Table 4. Parker Road General Lighting Conditions...... 12 Table 5. Parker Road Design Deficiencies ...... 13 Table 6. Existing Parker Road Drainage Crossings...... 14 Table 7. Existing Project Area Drainage Reports...... 15 Table 8. Existing Project Area Utilities ...... 16
ii Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Table 9. Parker Road Study Area Historic Traffic Volumes ...... 17 Table 10. Cherry Creek State Park Entrance Traffic Volumes (2007) ...... 25 Table 11. Parker Corridor Crash Rates...... 26 Table 12. Parker Corridor Crash Severity (2002-2004) ...... 26 Table 13. Parker Corridor Fatal Crashes (2002-2004) ...... 27 Table 14. Parker Corridor Crash Types...... 27 Table 15. Parker Corridor Crash Types...... 28 Table 16. Parker Corridor Crashes at Major Intersections by Type ...... 28 Table 17. Parker Corridor Crashes by Time of Day ...... 29 Table 18. 2005 Existing Conditions Data ...... 33 Table 19. Operating Characteristics for Bus Routes on Parker Rd...... 40 Table 20. Bus Routes that Connect to Transit Facilities on Parker Road...... 43 Table 21. Light Rail Lines that Connect to Transit Facilities on Parker Rd...... 44 Table 22. Average Weekday Boardings for Service Classes across All RTD Routes ...... 45 Table 23. Average Weekday Boardings for Routes on Parker Road ...... 46 Table 24. Average Boardings for call-n-Rides in Proximity to Parker Road Corridor ...... 48
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Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Introduction Current and forecasted traffic volumes and increasing traffic congestion along Parker Road between E-470 and Hampden Avenue prompted Arapahoe County to initiate a Corridor Study to address regional mobility and local accessibility. One of the project’s goals is to build consensus on a realistic investment strategy for the implementation of recommended transportation improvements. The project study area, illustrated in Figure 1, extends along Parker Road from the north ramps of E-470 to south of Hampden Avenue, and includes parallel and intersecting roadways north to I-225 and south to E-470. Jordan Road and Buckley Road generally bound the western and eastern limits of the corridor study area. Figure 2 illustrates the boundaries of the multiple jurisdictions encompassed in the study area. This report summarizes data collected as part of this study effort, data already available from Arapahoe County and other agencies, and the results of the evaluation of existing transportation conditions. Field data were collected along the corridor in October 2007. A traffic analysis and simulation model was also developed using the Synchro software program. Analyses were completed for the AM and PM peak hours. Due to the close proximity and overlapping study areas, much of the data collected for this project builds upon data compiled for the recently-completed Arapahoe Road Corridor Study project. That project followed a similar study process to identify recommended transportation improvements for the Arapahoe Road area between I-25 and Parker Road. The transportation improvements recommended by the Arapahoe Road Corridor Study within the Parker Road study area will be considered background recommendations for this study, which will be described in an alternatives development and analysis report to be prepared for this project. This data will be used as the basis for confirmation of current travel conditions and trends, determination of improvement needs, and calibration of the travel forecast model. Traffic forecasts from the model will be used in development and analysis of improvement alternatives. Separate reports will be assembled to summarize the land use and travel forecasts, environmental overview, and alternatives development and analyses.
1 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Figure 1. Corridor Map
Figure 1. Corridor Map
2 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Figure 2. Jurisdiction Boundaries
Figure 2. Jurisdictional Boundaries
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Roadway Network Parker Road Parker Road (SH 83) is a major north-south arterial with four to six through lanes extending north into Denver (as Leetsdale Drive) and south through the Town of Parker and into Colorado Springs (as Academy Boulevard). The corridor is primarily divided by a raised median but has median guardrail dividing the corridor north of Lehigh Avenue to the Hampden Avenue interchange and a painted median from Lewiston Way to Belleview Avenue. This and other existing roadway features, such as shoulder treatments and lighting, are described in the next section of the report. CDOT defines the functional classification of Parker Road as Other Principal Arterial – Urban between E-470 and Arapahoe Road. North of Arapahoe Road, CDOT classifies Parker Road as Freeway – Urban. For access control, CDOT classifies Parker Road as Rural Regional Highway (RA) between E-470 and Arapahoe Road and Urban Regional Highway (NRA) between Arapahoe Road and Hampden Avenue. North of Hampden Avenue, Parker Road is classified as an Expressway (EX) for access control and falls under the provisions of Section 43-3-101 (1941) C.R.S., “Freeway law”. The speed limit along the corridor is 55 miles per hour (MPH) from Cottonwood Drive to just south of Quincy Avenue (at Temple Drive), with a short section of 45 MPH south of Arapahoe Road. At the south and north ends of the corridor, the speed limit is reduced to 45 MPH. There are 12 traffic signals along the Parker Road corridor at the intersections shown in Figure 3, including signals at the cross streets of: x Woodman/E-470 x Orchard Road x Cottonwood Drive x Chambers Road x Long Avenue x Belleview Avenue x Broncos Parkway x Abilene/Temple x Arapahoe Road x Quincy Avenue x Fair Place/Lewiston Way x Lehigh Avenue The lane configurations at the signalized intersections are also shown in Figure 3. Double left turn lanes are provided on the approaches of many of the signalized intersections. To serve extremely high turning volumes, triple left turn lanes are provided at four signalized intersections, on the southbound approach at Quincy Avenue, on the westbound approach at Chambers Road, on the westbound approach at Orchard Avenue, and on the eastbound approach at Arapahoe Road. Double right turn lanes are provided on the westbound approach at the Quincy Avenue signal and triple right turn lanes are provided on the southbound approach to the Arapahoe Road signal. There is an emergency signal on Parker Road at the fire station south of Fremont Avenue, which is activated to provide access for emergency vehicles. The traffic signal at Arapahoe Road will be removed with the construction of the planned interchange, which is currently in
4 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 the final design stage. A new signal will be constructed south of Arapahoe Road at Chambers Way in conjunction with the retail development planned in the southwest quadrant of the Parker Road and Arapahoe Road intersection. Since the retail development is currently under construction, this new traffic signal will likely be installed prior to the Arapahoe/Parker interchange. The traffic signals along the study corridor are coordinated by time of day. The signal cycle lengths along the Parker Road corridor are 120 seconds during the AM and PM peak periods and 100 seconds during the rest of the day, including the Noon peak period. The traffic signals at intersections on the surrounding roadways within the study area operate with cycle lengths that vary from 90 seconds to 120 seconds during the AM and PM peak periods. During the rest of the day (including the Noon peak period), the signal cycle lengths range from 60 seconds to 100 seconds. Some of the traffic signals on the surrounding roadways are uncoordinated with adjacent signalized intersections. Many of the unsignalized intersections along the corridor operate with restricted right- in/right-out (RI/RO) turning movements. The locations along Parker Road where RI/RO intersections are provided include: x Layton Avenue x Chenango Avenue x Lake Avenue x Costilla Avenue x Mineral Place x Nichols Place There are several unsignalized intersections along the study corridor that operate with left- turns onto the cross street in addition to RI/RO turning movements (three-quarter turn intersections). The three-quarter turn intersections along the corridor include: x Atchison Way x Rice Place x Tufts Drive x Saratoga Place x Whitaker Place x Progress Way It should be noted that although these intersections observably operate as three-quarter turn intersections, the allowable left-turn movements may not necessarily be in compliance with the official CDOT access permit.
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Surrounding Roadways E-470 – This is a toll highway facility that runs along the southeastern perimeter of the Denver Metropolitan area from C-470 at I-25 north through Aurora and west of the Denver International Airport and connects with I-76 in Brighton and Commerce City before turning west and terminating at an interchange with I-25 south of SH 7. I-225 – This is a major freeway facility through the eastern Denver Metropolitan area and northern Aurora. I-225 provides four through lanes in each direction south of Parker Road and two through lanes in each direction north of the interchange. Northwest of the I-225 interchange, Parker Road provides access to the Southeast light rail line at the Nine Mile park- n-Ride. Arapahoe Road – This is a principal east-west arterial within the Denver Metropolitan Area. It is one of the few principal roadways crossing Cherry Creek between I-225 and E-470, and it is State Highway 88 (SH 88) between Parker Road and I-25. West of Parker Road, Arapahoe Road is a six-lane arterial with relatively limited access to the adjacent, mainly commercial, properties. East of Parker Road, Arapahoe Road serves growing residential developments within Aurora, Centennial, and Arapahoe County. The six-lane cross-section narrows to two lanes between Waco Street and Himalaya Way. Widening this section is a current Arapahoe County and City of Centennial joint project. East of Himalaya Way, Arapahoe Road is a divided six-lane and four-lane facility leading to Smoky Hill Road with an underpass under E-470 south of the Smoky Hill Road interchange. Quincy Avenue – East of Parker Road, Quincy Avenue is a six-lane east-west facility that intersects several major arterials, such as Smoky Hill Road, Chambers Road, and Buckley Road. Quincy Avenue tapers to four lanes east of Reservoir Road and then to two lanes east of Ensenada Way before it interchanges with E-470 nearly six miles east of Parker Road. West of Parker Road, Quincy Avenue is a two-lane roadway that provides access to several commercial properties. Smoky Hill Road – This roadway intersects Quincy Avenue less than a half mile east of Parker Road. Smoky Hill Road provides six travel lanes between Quincy Avenue and Buckley Road and four travel lanes from Buckley Road to E-470. The roadway has an interchange with E-470 approximately 2.5 miles south of the E-470/Quincy Avenue interchange. Belleview Avenue –East of Parker Road, Belleview Avenue is a four-lane roadway which provides access to several residential developments and serves as a connection to Chambers Road. West of Parker Road, Belleview Avenue has two lanes and provides access to the Point Belleview development and a few residential neighborhoods. Chambers Road –This roadway intersects Parker Road at the Pioneer Hills retail development and provides four lanes of travel north until just south of Belleview Avenue where it transitions to six lanes. Chambers Road has an interchange with I-70 nearly nine miles from the Parker Road intersection.
6 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Orchard Road – This roadway provides four lanes of travel from Parker Road to Smoky Hill Road where it becomes Himalaya Street. West of Parker Road, Orchard Road has two lanes and serves as an access road to several residential neighborhoods, extending less than one- quarter mile. Lewiston Way – This four-lane roadway intersects both Parker Road and Arapahoe Road. It snakes along the east side of the Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center and provides access to both the shopping center and Regis Jesuit High School. Broncos Parkway – This roadway facility includes four through lanes and extends to Peoria Street, with six through lanes between Potomac Road and Jordan Road. It is a key facility to accommodate east-west travel west of Parker Road, in conjunction with Easter Avenue between Peoria and Havana Streets. Broncos Parkway intersects Parker Road at a traffic signal. The eastern leg of the signal is Jamison Avenue, which is a local roadway providing access to the Chenango neighborhood, a horse-property neighborhood with a relatively rural environment east of Parker Road. Cottonwood Drive – This roadway provides access to the Cottonwood Plaza and Cottonwood Square retail developments and has four lanes of travel from west of Parker Road to west of Cottonwood Way, where it transitions to two lanes. The roadway continues west and terminates at Jordan Road. East of Parker Road, Cottonwood Drive provides two lanes of travel and crosses under E-470 before terminating at Crown Crest Boulevard. Buckley Road – This is a major north-south four-lane arterial roadway that intersects Arapahoe Road less than a mile east of Parker Road. Buckley Road becomes Airport Boulevard north of Alameda Parkway and intersects I-70 nearly 12 miles north of Arapahoe Road. Jordan Road – This is a parallel north-south facility located one mile west of Parker Road. South of Arapahoe Road, Jordan Road provides four through lanes and has an interchange with E-470. North of Arapahoe Road, Jordan Road provides access to the Algonquin Acres residential neighborhood and terminates at the southern edge of Cherry Creek State Park.
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Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Figure 3. Parker Road Existing Intersection Laneage
Figure 3. Parker Road Existing Intersection Laneage
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Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Roadway Features Field visits of the study corridor were completed in October 2007 to document the locations and types of existing relevant roadway features, such as shoulder and median treatments, curb and gutter, guardrail, fence, lighting, and observed design deficiencies. The existing roadway features collected along the corridor are illustrated in Figure 4.
Shoulder and Median Table 1 provides an outline of shoulder treatment and curb and gutter type and location along the study corridor. The roadway cross-section varies considerably. Both Type 2 (Sections IB and IIB) and Type 2 (Sections IM and IIM) curb and gutter exist along the corridor. Type 2 Section M curb and gutter is mountable. Curb and gutter with shoulders exists in a few locations. In segments without curb and gutter, shoulder width generally varies from four to eight feet wide, although some areas in the segment between Arapahoe Road and Orchard Road have no shoulder or curb and gutter. Table 1. Parker Road Shoulder Treatment and Curb and Gutter Roadway Section Shoulder Treatment Northbound Parker Road WB E-470 Off Ramp to Cottonwood Dr Curb & Gutter Type 2B w/ a 4 ft Shoulder Cottonwood Dr to Arapahoe Rd 4 ft Shoulder, no Curb & Gutter Arapahoe Rd to Fair Pl/Lewiston Wy Curb & Gutter Type 2M, no shoulder Fair Pl/Lewiston Way to Orchard Rd Sections of Curb & Gutter Type 2M, no shoulder Orchard Rd to Lehigh Ave Curb & Gutter Type 2M, no shoulder Lehigh Ave to Hampden Ave Curb & Gutter Type 2B, no shoulder Southbound Parker Road Hampden Ave to Lehigh Ave Curb & Gutter Type 2B, no shoulder Lehigh Ave to Belleview Ave Curb & Gutter Type 2M, no shoulder Belleview Ave to Chambers Rd 4 to 8 ft Shoulder, no Curb & Gutter Chambers Rd to Orchard Rd 4 ft Shoulder, no Curb & Gutter South of Orchard Rd Short section of Curb & Gutter Type 2M, no shoulder South of Orchard Rd to Fair Pl/Lewiston Way 4 ft Shoulder, no Curb & Gutter Fair Pl/Lewiston Way to Arapahoe Rd Curb & Gutter Type 2M w/ a 4 ft Shoulder Arapahoe Rd to Valley Hi Dr 4 ft Shoulder, no Curb & Gutter Valley Hi Dr to just south of Cottonwood Dr Sections of Curb & Gutter Type 2B, no shoulder South of Cottonwood Dr to E-470 4 ft Shoulder, no Curb & Gutter Source: Field visit by Hartwig & Associates, October 2007 A summary of the types and general location of existing median treatments is presented in Table 2. The median width varies greatly from areas of one foot in width to eight foot or greater, with up to a 22-foot median provided at the south end of the corridor. Mountable curb and gutter exists along the raised medians. The raised medians provide for delineation and roadway drainage direction. Small segments of landscaped medians exist just north of E- 470 and between Broncos Parkway and Fremont Avenue.
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Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Figure 4. Existing Roadway Features
Figure 4. Existing Roadway Features
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Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Table 2. Parker Road Median Treatment Roadway Section Median Treatment E-470 to Fremont Ave Raised Median with Median Cover Material, Curb and Gutter Type M Fremont Ave to just south of Fremont Ave Raised Median with Median Cover Material, Curb and Gutter Type 2 Just south of Fremont Ave for 1400 ft Raised Median with landscape, Curb and Gutter Type M South of Fremont Ave to Arapahoe Rd Raised Median with Median Cover Material, Curb and Gutter Type M Arapahoe Rd to Lewiston Way Painted median at the intersection of Arapahoe and Parker and then Raised Median with Median Cover Material, Curb and Gutter Type M Lewiston Way to Belleview Ave Painted median Belleview to Lehigh Ave Raised Median with Median Cover Material, Curb and Gutter Type M Lehigh Ave to Hampden Median Guardrail Type 7 Source: Field visit by Hartwig & Associates, October 2007
Guardrail Guardrail along the study corridor is generally placed at drainage features or steep slopes for protection. There is only one location of median guardrail on the project. The general location, length, and type of guardrail along the corridor is outlined in Table 3. Table 3. Parker Road Guardrail Roadway Section Guardrail Type / Approximate Length Northbound Parker Road Cottonwood Dr, northeast corner Guardrail Type 3 / 650 ft Mineral Pl, northeast corner Guardrail Type 3 / 200 ft South of Fremont Ave, south of fire station Guardrail Type 3 / 350 ft South of Orchard Ave at Piney Creek Bridge Guardrail Type 3 / 500 ft South of Belleview a creek crossing Guardrail Type 3 / 600 ft Lehigh Ave to Hampden Median Guardrail Type 7 Southbound Parker Road South of Quincy Guardrail Type 3 / 900 ft South of Belleview at a creek crossing Guardrail Type 3 / 1300 ft South of Orchard Ave at Piney Creek Bridge Guardrail Type 3 / 450 ft North of Arapahoe Rd Guardrail Type 3 / 300 ft South of Fremont Ave Guardrail Type 3 / 700 ft South of Broncos Pkwy Guardrail Type 3 / 300 ft North of Long Ave Guardrail Type 3 / 1000 ft Source: Field visit by Hartwig & Associates, October 2007
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Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Fence There were only a few notable fences along the study corridor. All fences were located behind sidewalk or curb and gutter and offset from the roadway. There were no fences that posed an issue with clear zone along the project. All of the existing fences on the project are wooden and there are no existing masonry soundwalls.
Lighting Illumination along the study corridor primarily exists at major intersections. The entire corridor does not have street lights. The locations of the illuminated areas are listed in Table 4. Table 4. Parker Road General Lighting Conditions Location Description E-470 to Off Ramp Intersection Illumination Cottonwood Dr Intersection Illumination Long Ave Intersection Illumination Broncos Pkwy Intersection Illumination Arapahoe Rd to Lewiston Way Entire northbound section illuminated, southbound illuminated from Arapahoe to the SB Parker to WB Arapahoe off ramp Orchard Rd Intersection Illumination Orchard Rd to Chambers Rd Entire northbound section illuminated Chambers Rd Intersection Illumination Chambers Rd to north of Chambers Entire northbound section illuminated (end of retail development) Belleview Ave Intersection Illumination Temple Dr Intersection Illumination Quincy Ave Intersection Illumination Quincy Ave to Lehigh Ave Entire northbound section illuminated Lehigh Ave Intersection Illumination Lehigh Ave to Hampden Ave Entire northbound and southbound section illuminated Source: Field visit by Hartwig & Associates, October 2007
Design Deficiencies A windshield survey was conducted to identify locations of clear zone and design deficiencies. Consideration was given to potential deficiencies in clear zone/obstructions, side slope (i.e., too steep without guardrail), vertical sight distance, horizontal alignment, landscaping, and tapers. Listed in the Table 5 are the areas that appeared to be deficient in design. The field investigation did not reveal any sight distance issues along the corridor.
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Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Table 5. Parker Road Design Deficiencies Location Description of Clear Zone / Design Deficiencies Northbound Parker South of Jamison Ave Drainage head wall and slopes South of Fremont Ave, south of fire Wood utility pole, no protection station access South of Fremont Ave, north of fire Signal pole, no protection station access South of Arapahoe Rd Steep slope North of Lewiston Way Utility pole, no protection Southbound Parker South of Orchard Rd Acceleration lane length South of Orchard Rd, in front of housing Steep slope North of Fair Pl/Lewiston Way Steep slope South of Arapahoe Rd Bus stop location North of Fremont Ave Steep slope North of Broncos Pkwy Steep slope South of Broncos Pkwy Steep slope Source: Field visit by Hartwig & Associates, October 2007
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Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Drainage Major Drainage Features There are seven tributaries crossing the Parker Road study corridor. All of the tributaries lead to Cherry Creek to the west of Parker Road and then travel to Cherry Creek Reservoir located to the northwest of the project limits. Of these seven crossings, only one includes a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regulated floodplain. The one tributary that is a regulated floodplain is Piney Creek which crosses Parker Road just south of Orchard Road. The other six crossings are minor tributaries that join Cherry Creek. The existing drainage crossings are summarized in Table 6. The seven crossings and notable detention areas are illustrated in Appendix A. Table 6. Existing Parker Road Drainage Crossings Crossing Location of Parker Road Crossing Size 1E North of Cotton wood Dr 72” CMP 2E North of Mineral Pl 16’ X 8’ +/- CBC Structure #F-17-JL 3E South of Broncos Pkwy 2 – 36” CMP 4E & 4W North of Broncos Pkwy and south of Fremont Ave 3 – 8’ X 6’ CBC Structure #F-17-HG 5W South of Orchard Rd at Piney Creek Concrete Slab and Girder Structure #F-17-1 Continuous (poured in place) 260’ +/- span 6E & 6W North of Orchard Rd and south of Belleview 2 – 10’ X 6’ +/- CBC 7E & 7W North of Belleview and south of Quincy Ave 10’ X 6’ +/- CBC
The study area is covered by the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (UDFCD), Arapahoe County, Douglas County, the City of Aurora, the City of Centennial and the Southeast Metro Stormwater Authority (SEMSWA). A current project, to be completed in spring 2008, involves the stabilization of Piney Creek east of Buckley Road and the installation of a new pedestrian bridge and trail connection. A future drainage project planned southeast of the study area is the Piney Creek Ranches Caley Bridge project planned through the Southeast Metro Stormwater Authority (SEMSWA).
Area Master Plans There are several existing drainage reports that cover the project area. The majority of the reports focus on Cherry Creek and covers its tributaries which include Piney Creek. The existing drainage reports that are relevant to the Parker Corridor study limits are summarized in Table 7. All of the reports have been written for the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (UDFCD) with various funding partners as noted.
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Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Table 7. Existing Project Area Drainage Reports Report Author Date Client Coverage Area Flood Hazard Area Gingery October UDFCD Piney Creek located in Delineation Piney Creek, Associates, 1975 Arapahoe County Cottonwood Creek, Lone Inc. Tree Creek, & Murphy Creek Piney Creek and Greenhorne March UDFCD and Arapahoe Piney Creek and its tributaries Tributaries, Phase A and O’Mara, 1989 County located in Arapahoe County Stream Stabilization and Inc. Major Crossing Planning Report Flood Hazard Area Greenhorne April 1989 UDFCD and Arapahoe Piney Creek and its tributaries Delineation Piney Creek and O’Mara, County located in Arapahoe County Tributaries Inc. Piney Creek and Greenhorne October UDFCD and Arapahoe Piney Creek and its tributaries Tributaries, Phase B and O’Mara, 1989 County located in Arapahoe County Stream Stabilization and Inc. Major Crossing Planning Report Cherry Creek Corridor WRC September UDFCD, Arapahoe Cherry Creek from Cheery Reservoir to County Line Engineering, 1997 County, City of Aurora, Creek Reservoir to County Line. Outfall Systems Inc. Cherry Creek Basin Includes tributaries to Cherry Alternatives Evaluation Water Quality Authority Creek, this includes Piney Report Creek. Cherry Creek Corridor WRC May 1999 UDFCD, Arapahoe Cherry Creek from Cheery Reservoir to County Line Engineering, County, City of Aurora, Creek Reservoir to County Line. Outfall Systems Inc. Cherry Creek Basin Includes tributaries to Cherry Preliminary Design Report Water Quality Authority Creek, this includes Piney Creek. Upper Piney Creek Outfall Olsson April 2002 UDFCD and City of Upper Piney Creek, six miles Systems Planning Associates Aurora southeast of Cherry Creek Alternatives Evaluation Reservoir. Report Cherry Creek Corridor – URS December UDFCD partnered with Cherry Creek from Cherry Creek Reservoir to Scott Road 2002 Douglas County, Reservoir to Scott Road. Major Drainageway Arapahoe County, Town Includes ephemeral streams Planning Study of Parker, City of Aurora tributary to Cherry Creek, this Alternative Evaluation and City of Centennial includes Piney Creek. Report Flood Hazard Area URS May 2003 UDFCD partnered with Cherry Creek from Cheery Delineation Cherry Creek Douglas County, Creek Reservoir to Scott Road. Corridor – Reservoir to Arapahoe County, Town Includes ephemeral streams Scott Road of Parker, City of Aurora tributary to Cherry Creek, this and City of Centennial includes Piney Creek. Cherry Creek Corridor – URS January UDFCD partnered with Cherry Creek from Cheery Reservoir to Scott Road 2004 Douglas County, Creek Reservoir to Scott Road. Major Drainageway Arapahoe County, Town Includes ephemeral streams Planning Study of Parker, City of Aurora tributary to Cherry Creek, this Preliminary Design Report and City of Centennial includes Piney Creek.
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Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Utilities Utility information within the Parker Road corridor area was obtained from the Arapahoe County GIS database. At the time of this report, utility data from Douglas County had not been received. From this information it appears there is minimal potential for impacts due to utilities conflicts along the corridor. Most electric utilities are overhead on utility poles east of Parker Road through the study corridor, although some electric lines are underground within the northern section of the corridor. Electric lines are underground between Hampden Avenue and Quincy Avenue, between Tufts Drive and Whitaker Place, and from south of Belleview to north of Orchard Avenue. The utilities along the corridor shown in the GIS database are summarized in Table 8. Table 8. Existing Project Area Utilities Utility Location Gas Line From Broncos Parkway to Belleview, approximately 250’ to 350’ to the west and parallel to Parker Road. Water Line In the median of Parker Road from Lewiston Way to Orchard Road Water Line Crossing Parker Road at Lewiston Way and then paralleling Parker on the east to Quincy Ave, approximately 0’ to 50’ +/-. Water Line In the median of Parker Road from ½ mile north of Chambers to 500’ north of Belleview. Water Line In the northbound far left lane of Parker Road from Quincy Ave to Hampden. Water Line Crossing Parker Road at the following locations: Lewiston Way, 600’ south of Belleview, 750’ north of Belleview, Temple Drive, 350’ north of Tuffs Drive, 600’ north of Tuffs Drive, and 750’ north of Quincy Ave. Sanitary Sewer Crossing Parker Road at the following locations: ¼ mile south of Belleview, just south of Temple Drive, Quincy Ave, 100’ north of Quincy Ave, 400’ north of Quincy Ave, Lehigh Ave, and at Hampden Ave. Sanitary Sewer In the northbound outside shoulder from Lewiston Way to Orchard Road. Sanitary Sewer Parallel to Parker Road to the east from Temple Drive to Tuffs Drive Sanitary Sewer 2 lines 50’ to the west parallel to Parker Road from north of Tuffs Drive to north of Hampden. Source: Arapahoe County GIS database
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Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Vehicular Traffic Operations Traffic count data were collected within the Parker Road study area during October 2007. Daily traffic count data were also available from Arapahoe County and other agencies. The traffic count data are included in Appendix B.
Daily Traffic Volumes Daily traffic volumes were collected at the following 21 locations within the study area: x Parker Road north of Lehigh Avenue x Parker Road/Arapahoe Road Interchange x Quincy Road west of Parker Road Ramp x Quincy Road east of Parker Road x Parker Road south of Costilla Avenue x Parker Road south of Abilene x Broncos Parkway west of Parker Road Circle/Temple Drive x Jamison Avenue east of Parker Road x Belleview Avenue west of Parker Road x Long Avenue east of Parker Road x Belleview Avenue east of Parker Road x Parker Road north of Valley Hi Drive x Parker Road north of Chambers Road x Cottonwood Drive west of Parker Road x Parker Road north of Orchard Road x Cottonwood Drive east of Parker Road x Orchard Road west of Parker Road x Parker Road north of EB 470 Ramps and x Orchard Road east of Parker Road south of Woodman Drive x Parker Road south of Orchard Road x Parker Road north of Arapahoe Road The daily traffic counts collected for the project are shown in Figure 5. These existing traffic volumes will be used to calibrate the study travel forecasting model. The traffic forecasting methodology and results for the project will be described in a subsequent project report.
Historic traffic volumes within the study area were obtained from CDOT. These volumes were examined for general historic trends as well as potential correlations with the historic corridor crash data. Traffic volumes for the last five years available are summarized in Table 9. Traffic volumes have generally increased over the last five years within the study area, particularly north and south of the Arapahoe Road intersection. Table 9. Parker Road Study Area Historic Traffic Volumes Roadway Location 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 South of Douglas-Arapahoe 38,800 38,200 37,800 39,600 38,900 County Line South of Arapahoe Road 32,200 33,900 35,100 39,700 38,200 Parker Road South of Orchard Avenue 53,600 52,000 57,800 61,600 59,900 South of Quincy Avenue 41,700 49,600 46,200 43,900 43,900 South of Hampden Ave 64,400 60,700 67,600 65,500 65,500 Source: CDOT Crash Rate Books 2000-2004, CDOT Traffic Data Website
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Figure 5. Parker Road Daily Traffic Volume Counts
Figure 5. Parker Road Daily Traffic Volume Counts
18 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Daily traffic volumes were collected for this study at nine locations along Parker Road. The daily count data collected at each location are shown in Figure 6. The highest corridor traffic volumes occur at the north end of the study area, north of Lehigh Avenue. The traffic volumes collected north of Lehigh Avenue (81,200 vehicles/day) were almost twice as much as the traffic volumes collected at the south end of the study corridor, north of the E-470 ramps (43,100 vehicles/day). This increase in traffic volume is attributed to the high volumes entering/exiting the corridor at the Quincy Avenue intersection to access residential developments east of the study area via both Quincy Avenue and Smoky Hill Road. Figure 6. Parker Road Daily Traffic Volume Counts
90,000
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
Traffic Volume (vehicles/day) 10,000
0 North of South of North of North of South of North of South of North of North of E- Lehigh Abilene Chambers Orchard Orchard Arapahoe Costilla Valley Hi 470 Ramps Avenue Circle/Temple Road Road Road Road Avenue Drive Drive Count Location
Source: Traffic counts collected by All Traffic Data (October 2007)
The daily counts were collected with hourly breakdowns of volumes at each location. Figure 7 shows the hourly fluctuations of the daily counts collected at two locations along Parker Road. North of Lehigh Avenue, the traffic is characterized by distinct peak hour directionality focused around commuting to downtown Denver and I-225 with peak traffic volumes in the northbound direction during the AM peak hour and in the southbound direction during the PM peak hour. This is defined by the major traffic movements at the Parker Road/Quincy Road intersection as well as at the Quincy Road/Smoky Hill Road/Carson Street intersection located immediately east of the study corridor. Another location along the corridor with distinct peak hour directionality is between Orchard Avenue and Arapahoe Road. However, as shown in Figure 7, the directional movements are opposite as those at the north end of the corridor, with peak traffic volumes in the southbound direction during the AM peak hour and in the northbound direction during the
19 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 PM peak hour. Traffic within this section of roadway is focused towards accessing the Arapahoe Road corridor, I-25, and the Denver Tech Center. Figure 7. Parker Road Weekday Hourly Traffic Variations
Time of Day Variation - North of Lehigh Ave (October 2007)
4500 4000 3500
3000
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20 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 In contrast, the section of the Parker Road corridor between Quincy Avenue and Orchard Avenue and the southern end of the study corridor experiences traffic volumes distributed almost equally in the northbound and southbound directions during the peak hours. The hourly traffic variations at these two locations are shown in Figure 8. Figure 8. Parker Road Weekday Hourly Traffic Variations
Time of Day Variation - North of Orchard Rd (October 2007)
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21
Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Peak Hour Traffic Volumes Peak hour intersection counts were collected for this study at the following locations within the study area. The traffic count data are included in Appendix B. x Parker Road/Lehigh Avenue x Orchard Road/Ida Road x Parker Road/Atchison Way x Parker Road/Lake Avenue x Parker Road/East Bank Shopping Center x Parker Road/Pinnacle at the Creek x Parker Road/Quincy Avenue Apartments x Quincy Avenue/ East Bank Shopping x Parker Road/Fair Place/Lewiston Way Center x Lewiston Way/Jasper Way x Quincy Avenue/Atchison Way x Parker Road/Arapahoe Crossing Shopping x Quincy Avenue/Smoky Hill Road/Carson Center Street x Parker Road/Costilla Avenue x Parker Road/Rice Place x Parker Road/Fremont Avenue x Parker Road/Tufts Drive x Broncos Parkway/Cherokee Trail x Parker Road/Abilene Circle/Temple Drive x Parker Road/Broncos Parkway/Jamison x Parker Road/Layton Avenue Avenue x Parker Road/Saratoga Place x Parker Road//Long Avenue x Parker Road/Chenango Avenue x Parker Road/Mineral Place x Parker Road/Whitaker Place x Parker Road/Nichols Place x Parker Road/Belleview Avenue x Parker Road/Valley Hi Drive x Belleview Avenue/Dillon Street x Parker Road/Cottonwood Plaza x Parker Road/Progress Way x Parker Road/Cottonwood Drive/ WB E-470 x Parker Road/Chambers Road Off Ramp x Parker Road/Orchard Road
In order to analyze and simulate traffic operations in the corridor with the Synchro traffic analysis software, a network of AM and PM peak hour traffic with volumes balanced between major intersections was created. The counts collected for this study were utilized in conjunction with other available traffic volume data to estimate peak hour traffic volumes balanced through the corridor. Operational Analysis Intersection operational analysis was completed utilizing methods outlined in the latest Highway Capacity Manual (HCM 2000) and Synchro traffic analysis software. The existing lane configurations and balanced peak hour traffic volumes developed for this study were used to analyze the Levels of Service and control delay at each study intersection during the AM and PM peak hours. The peak hour intersection traffic counts and results of the signalized operational analysis are illustrated in Figure 9. Synchro output reports for all study intersections are provided in Appendix C with a tabular summary of intersection LOS and delay during each peak hour.
22
Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Figure 9. Peak Hour Traffic Counts and Levels of Service
Figure 9. Peak Hour Traffic Counts and Levels of Service
23 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Four of the twelve signalized intersections along Parker Road within the study area operate at LOS F during the AM and/or PM peak hours. The Parker Road/Quincy Avenue intersection operates at LOS F during the AM peak hour. The Parker Road/Broncos Parkway intersection operates at LOS F during the PM peak hour. The worst-operating intersections along the study corridor are the Parker Road/Orchard Road and Parker Road/Arapahoe Road intersections, which operate at LOS F during both the AM and PM peak hours. The Parker Road/Arapahoe Road intersection is planned for a grade-separated interchange, which is currently in the final design stage. The traffic movements at the unsignalized intersections along Parker Road operate at LOS D or better during the AM and PM peak hours with the exception of three intersections. The Parker Road/ Atchison Way intersection operates at LOS F during the AM peak hour and LOS C during the PM peak hour. The Parker Road/Rice Place intersection operates at LOS F during both the AM and PM peak hours. The Parker Road/Saratoga Place intersection operates at LOS F during the AM peak hour and LOS C during the PM Peak hour. At all of the unsignalized intersections along Parker Road where a left-turn onto the cross street is provided (three- quarter turn intersections), the left-turn movement is the worst-operating intersection movement during the peak hours. All of the signalized intersections on the surrounding roadways within the study area that were analyzed operate at LOS B or better during the AM and PM peak hours, with the exception of the two signalized intersections on Quincy Avenue east of Parker Road. The Quincy Avenue/Atchison Way intersection operates at LOS F during both the AM and PM peak hours and the Quincy Avenue/Smoky Hill Road/Carson Street intersection operates at LOS F during the AM peak hour and LOS E during the PM peak hour. All of the unsignalized intersections on the surrounding roadways within the study area that were analyzed operate at a LOS B or better during the AM and PM peak hours.
Local Traffic Issues Several existing local traffic issues have been identified by residents and stakeholders within the Parker Road study area. These issues are mainly related to drivers cutting through areas and traveling on roadways adjacent to the corridor to avoid congestion on Parker Road or at specific intersections. The Chenango neighborhood, located east of the Parker Road/Broncos Parkway signalized intersection, currently experiences traffic cutting-through the neighborhood during the PM peak hour to avoid congestion at the Parker Road/Arapahoe Road intersection. The main entrance into the neighborhood, Jamison Avenue, is located directly across from Broncos Parkway at Parker Road. Speed, traffic volume, and license plate data was recently collected by Arapahoe County on Jamison Avenue, immediately east of the Parker Road intersection. The license plate data shows 42 percent cut-through traffic on eastbound Jamison Avenue to northbound Richfield Street, which consists of drivers traveling on eastbound Broncos Parkway or northbound Parker Road traveling through the Chenango neighborhood to access Arapahoe Road east of Parker Road. The 85th-percentile speed of traffic on Jamison Avenue east of Parker Road was 36.3 miles per hour (MPH) in a 25-MPH posted speed limit
24 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 area. The daily traffic volume collected at this location was 1,290 vehicles per day. Crash records were also reviewed by Arapahoe County and no correctable crashes were noted. The access restrictions along Parker Road implemented for recent developments, such as limiting driveways to right-in/right-out operations, has resulted in drivers cutting-through corner retail centers to access adjacent residential or commercial areas. This has been identified as an issue for the retail centers at the Parker Road/Chambers Road intersection. An issue has also been identified with drivers cutting-through the Arapahoe Crossing retail development on the northeast corner of the Arapahoe Road intersection to avoid heavy congestion at the Parker Road/Arapahoe Road signal. The Cherry Creek State Park (CCSP), located west of Parker Road between I-225 and Orchard Avenue, experiences substantial east-west commuter traffic cutting-through the park to avoid congestion on I-225 and/or Arapahoe Road, particularly during bad weather. The East Entrance for CCSP is located directly across from Lehigh Avenue at Parker Road. Visitation data collected by CCSP for each month in 2007 are included in Appendix D with a park map. The vehicular traffic volumes entering CCSP are summarized in Table 10 by trip type and entrance location. Commuter traffic accounted for 13 percent of the total traffic entering the park in 2007. The highest percentage of commuter traffic utilizing the park occurred in January (39 percent of park traffic) and the lowest percentage of commuter traffic utilizing the park occurred in July (six percent of park traffic), when park visitor traffic is at its peak. Table 10. Cherry Creek State Park Entrance Traffic Volumes (2007) Vehicle 2007 Type Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Commuter 8,800 9,400 9,800 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 82,000 Visitor 12,856 21,682 55,429 30,694 73,483 49,956 100,750 73,288 54,984 41,583 29,772 15,162 559,639 Admin 716 716 716 716 1,803 1,803 1,803 1,803 716 716 716 716 12,940 Total 22,372 31,798 65,945 37,410 81,286 57,759 108,553 81,091 61,700 48,299 36,488 21,878 654,579
2007 Entrance Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total East 7,942 13,444 33,451 17,868 42,746 27,147 73,282 40,121 38,867 19,122 15,583 10,987 340,560 West 8,550 11,882 18,126 13,887 26,014 25,000 25,191 35,012 10,519 15,944 10,463 6,710 207,298 South 5,880 6,472 14,368 5,655 12,526 5,612 10,080 5,958 12,314 13,233 10,172 4,181 106,451 Source: Cherry Creek State Park visitation reports The East Entrance at the Parker Road/Lehigh Avenue traffic signal handled over 50 percent of the vehicles accessing the park in 2007. The South Entrance, located off Orchard Avenue west of Parker Road, handled almost 15 percent of the park vehicular traffic last year. The South Entrance only provides access to the 12-Mile Multi-Use Area without a connection to other park roads.
25 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Crash History Crash data for the Parker Road study corridor were obtained from CDOT for the last three years available (2002 - 2004), and are summarized in Figure 10. The crash rates for the corridor as well as similar Denver Metropolitan area arterial corridors are summarized in Table 11. The total crash rate for the entire corridor is 2.89, which is less than the 2004 statewide average of 4.60 for Urban Other Principal Arterial roadways. Table 11. Parker Corridor Crash Rates Segment PDO Injury Fatal Total Parker Road Study Corridor (2002 – 2004) 2.03 0.84 2.16 2.89 Urban Other Principal Arterials – Statewide Average (2004) 3.37 1.22 1.53 4.60 Other Urban Other Principal Arterials (2004): Alameda Avenue 1.07 0.52 0.02 1.61 Hampden Avenue 4.00 1.77 0.04 5.81 Colfax Avenue 6.20 2.17 0.04 8.41 Santa Fe Drive 1.07 0.52 0.02 1.61 Federal Boulevard 4.55 1.79 1.65 6.36 Sheridan Boulevard 4.87 1.77 1.55 6.66 Wadsworth Boulevard 4.41 1.24 0.01 5.66 Source: CDOT Detailed Crash Summary Reports Note: Property Damage Only (PDO) and Injury rates reported per Million Vehicle Miles Traveled (MVMT) and Fatal rate reported per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled (100 MVMT) The severity of corridor crashes is summarized in Table 12. Crash severity was summarized for the entire corridor as well as for the corridor segments chosen for the differences in traffic volumes and surrounding land use and access characteristics. Approximately 70 percent of the crashes along the study corridor are Property Damage Only (PDO), which is consistent with the recurring congestion along the corridor that reduces the traveling speed of vehicles and consequential crash severity. Table 12. Parker Corridor Crash Severity (2002-2004) Crash Severity Property Damage Only (PDO) Injury Fatal Segment Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Total North of Quincy Ave 195 71% 77 28% 3 1% 275 Quincy Ave to Arapahoe Rd 444 69% 194 30% 3 0% 641 Arapahoe Rd to E-470 115 74% 39 25% 2 1% 156 Totals 754 70% 310 29% 8 1% 1,072 Source: CDOT Detailed Crash Summary Reports Eight fatal crashes were recorded in the study corridor between 2002 and 2004. A summary of the fatal crashes is shown in Table 13.
26 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Table 13. Parker Corridor Fatal Crashes (2002-2004) Number of Pavement Crash Alcohol Location Date Time Vehicles Conditions Type Related Involved Approximately 200 ft Object- Aug-02 PM Off-Peak Dry 1 Yes south of Lehigh Ave Other At the intersection of Evening Off- Sept-02 Dry 2 Turning Yes Atchison Way Peak Approximately 200 ft Evening Off- Oct-02 Dry 2 PedestrianYes south of Atchison Way Peak At the intersection of Feb-02 PM Off-Peak Dry 2 Turning Unknown Temple Dr Wet with At the intersection of Feb-04 AM Off-Peak visible icy road 2 Broadside No Orchard Ave treatment Approximately 400 ft south of Piney Creek Sept-04 PM Peak Dry 3 Rear End No Entrance Approximately 900 ft Evening Off- Object- Nov-04 Icy 4 Yes south of Nichols Pl Peak Curb Approximately 1800 ft Evening Off- Mar-04 Dry 2 Turning No north of E-470 On Ramp Peak Source: CDOT Detailed Crash Summary Reports The intersection-related crashes reported along the study corridor are summarized in Table 14. The intersection-related crashes are summarized for the entire corridor as well as for the corridor segments chosen. Approximately 73 percent of the total crashes for the corridor are intersection-related crashes. Table 14. Parker Corridor Crash Types Intersection-Related Segment Total Crashes Crashes Number Percent North of Quincy Ave 275 212 77% Quincy Ave to Arapahoe Rd 641 466 73% Arapahoe Rd to E-470 156 106 68% Totals 1,072 784 73% Source: CDOT Detailed Crash Summary Reports The types of crashes along the study corridor are shown in Table 15. Most crashes were rear end crashes, which is consistent with the number of signalized intersections along the corridor and the recurring congestion. Sideswipe, turning, and broadside crashes were the next-highest categories in the number of crashes. These types of crashes can be attributed to the conflicts created by the signalized and unsignalized intersections along the corridor. There were two crashes along the corridor involving pedestrians and bicyclists, which is less than 0.2 percent of the total corridor crashes.
27 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Table 15. Parker Corridor Crash Types Crash Type Number Percent Overturning 8 1% Pedestrian 1 0% Broadside 75 7% Head On 8 1% Rear End 591 55% Sideswipe 148 14% Turning 143 13% Bicycle 1 0% Animal-Related 6 1% Fixed Object-Curb 28 3% Fixed Object- Other 49 5% Other 13 1% Unknown 1 0% Total 1072 100% Source: CDOT Detailed Crash Summary Reports The crashes at major intersections along the study corridor by type are shown in Table 16. Most crashes at major intersections were rear end crashes which is consistent with the recurring congestion along the corridor. Table 16. Parker Corridor Crashes at Major Intersections by Type
Intersection Overturning Pedestrian Broadside Head On Rear End Sideswipe Turning Bicycle Animal- Related Fixed Object- Curb Fixed Object- Other Other Total Quincy Avenue 1 1 16 0 69 36 39 1 0 4 8 1 176 Belleview Avenue 0 0 4 3 22 4 15 0 0 1 3 0 52 Chambers Road 1 0 1 0 23 9 5 0 0 2 4 0 45 Orchard Road 0 0 6 1 137 22 8 0 1 1 3 1 180 Arapahoe Road 0 0 25 0 118 22 12 0 0 0 5 2 184 Broncos Parkway 0 0 4 0 10 3 0 0 0 7 0 0 24 Cottonwood Drive 0 0 5 0 30 8 14 0 1 2 3 2 65 E-470/ Woodman Drive 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 5
Totals 2 1 62 4 410 105 93 1 2 17 28 6 Source: CDOT Detailed Crash Summary Reports Due to the recurring congestion during the AM, Noon, and PM peak periods along the corridor, crashes were reviewed by time period. The number of crashes along the corridor by time of day are shown in Table 17.
28 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Table 17. Parker Corridor Crashes by Time of Day Percent of Traffic Percent of Time Period Crashes Total Crashes Volume Daily Volume Late Night Off-Peak (12:00AM -6:00AM) 53 5% 2,305 4% AM Peak (6:00AM - 9:00AM) 148 14% 14,727 24% AM Off-Peak (9:00AM - 11:00AM) 85 8% 5,830 9% Noon Peak (11:00AM - 1:00PM) 120 11% 5,668 9% PM Off-Peak (1:00PM - 4:00PM) 215 20% 10,684 17% PM Peak (4:00PM - 7:00PM) 275 26% 15,942 26% Evening Off-Peak (7:00PM - 12:00AM) 176 16% 7,169 12% Source: CDOT Detailed Crash Summary Reports As shown, the percent of crashes that occurred during each time period corresponds closely to the percent of the daily traffic volume. This is another indication of traffic congestion being a large factor in the amount of crashes that occur along the corridor. If geometric design deficiencies were a substantial issue, the percent of crashes occurring during off-peak periods may be much higher than the corresponding proportion of daily volume.
29 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Figure 10. Parker Road Crash Summary (2002 – 2004)
Figure 10. Parker Road Crash Summary (2002 – 2004)
30 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Existing Land Use The following summarizes the existing (built) land use conditions within the land use study area. The project land use study area is defined as the area between I-25 on the west, I-225 and Hampden on the north, Lincoln Avenue on the south and E-470 on the east. This area is illustrated in Figure 11. The DRCOG Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ) zonal structure was imposed over the study area, defining the 156 TAZs within the boundaries of the Parker Road study area. The DRCOG 2005 socio-economic data for these TAZs, along with field review, is the basis of the existing conditions land use review. The portion of Parker Road that lies within the study area is the only other major north-south connection besides I-25 to the west. Douglas County, the Towns of Parker and Castle Rock, and outlying areas in northern Elbert County have experienced tremendous growth over the past decade and much of the undeveloped ranch lands have transitioned to medium or low density, auto-oriented single-family residential development with accompanying retail or commercial uses integrated into the landscape. The growth south of the study area has resulted in increasing commuter demand on Parker Road. Land use along Parker Road itself is characterized by commercial, office or light industrial uses surrounding the major intersections, including Arapahoe Crossing at Arapahoe Road and other local retail developments between Orchard and Belleview east of Parker Road. Mixed commercial, multi-family and office uses line the corridor east of Parker Road between Quincy and I-225. West of Parker Road and north of Arapahoe Road is generally undeveloped with the presence of Cherry Creek State Park and only scattered residential pockets. South of Arapahoe Road and west of Parker Road are business use and recent single-family and residential development in Centennial and Arapahoe County south to E-470. East of Parker Road extending to E-470, the existing development pattern is characterized as single-family residential with corner commercial and supporting recreational and educational institution uses. This pattern of suburban type residential development fills nearly the entire portion of the study area between Parker Road east to E-470 and E-470 north to Hampden Road. Big box commercial and other supporting retail uses exist along the E-470 edge in the vicinity of Smoky Hill Road. The land west of Parker Road to I-25 was examined extensively during the Arapahoe Road Corridor Study. This portion of the study area is supported by Arapahoe Road which is heavily traveled as the primary east-west connection between Parker Road and I-25, outside of E-470 and Lincoln Avenue to the south. Big box retail uses such as Target, Home Depot and Lowes occupy the majority of land near the I-25 interchange and Arapahoe Road. Large-scale automobile dealerships, intermittent smaller scale retail and commercial uses and sections of office-park development comprise the land along Arapahoe Road. The majority of land to the north of the corridor is either office or residential use, bounded by the Cherry Creek State Park lands. Land south of the roadway corridor is characterized by growing office and light industrial type uses, coupled with the Centennial Airport property.
31 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Figure 11. Existing Land Use
Figure 11. Existing Land Use
32 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Future land use development patterns in Douglas County and the City of Parker continue to increase travel demand on both Arapahoe and Parker Roads.
Agency Process Existing and proposed land uses in the study area fall within the purview of the following jurisdictions: Arapahoe County, Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Douglas County, Foxfield, Greenwood Village, and Parker. Each of these jurisdictions has decision-making authority to zone the use of the lands located within their jurisdictional boundaries and to determine future developed uses. The project team talked with representatives of the study area jurisdictions in November 2007 regarding the 2005 existing conditions data. It was explained to these agencies that a substantial number of the TAZs within the Parker Road study area were examined closely in the Arapahoe Road project and refinements made to the dataset. These TAZs are now part of the Parker Road study area as well, in addition to more TAZs in the eastern part of the Parker Road study area. This 2005 dataset represents the existing conditions in the area as determined through the Arapahoe Road process and this Parker Road process. The general consensus among agency staff was that the 2005 existing conditions set is reflective of the study area. These agencies will also review the DRCOG socio-economic data for 2035 dataset and travel demand modeling efforts.
2005 DRCOG Land Use Dataset The study area land uses were mapped and illustrated in the categories of residential, office/service, commercial, light industrial, institutional and recreational/open space, as shown in Figure 11. These uses were checked in the field, by map and/or with agency staff. The DRCOG 2005 dataset numbers are shown in Table 18 compared with the refined 2005 dataset for Parker Road. Refinements to the DRCOG data set were made to TAZs within the Arapahoe Road study area, during the Arapahoe Road process. The existing land use refined data set is shown in Appendix E. Additional TAZs that are part of the Parker Road study, typically east of Parker Road, are primarily residential in nature and found to be representative of existing conditions. No changes were made to these TAZs. Table 18. 2005 Existing Conditions Data Parker Road Corridor Population Households Employment Land Use Existing Conditions DRCOG 2005 Dataset Parker Road Study Area 182,089 66,927 117,498 Refined 2005 Dataset for Parker Road Study Area, including previous refinements made during 183,065 67,396 115,540 Arapahoe Road Corridor Study.
The majority of the land use in the eastern portion of the study area is single-family or multi- family in nature, making overall households fairly high for the study area. Of the 115,000 plus jobs, office or service jobs are predominant, with production and retail lagging substantially
33 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 behind, as shown in Figure 12. The majority of these jobs are located in the central and western portions of the study area. Figure 12. Existing Study Area Employment
Study Area Employment
Production 27,637
Service 68,661 Retail 19,242
34 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Area Transportation Improvements There are a number of engineering and planning efforts taking place in the near term within the study area. Each of these programmed improvements is shown in Figure 13. Intersection Improvements, Hampden Avenue/Buckley Road – This project will add capacity at the Hampden Avenue and Buckley Road signalized intersection with the construction of additional turn lanes. Smoky Hill Road Widening, Buckley Road to E-470 – This project will widen Smoky Hill Road from the current four lane cross-section to six lanes from Buckley Road to E-470. The project currently has no funding for construction. Intersection Improvements, Parker Road/Orchard Avenue – This project will convert the existing forced right turn lane from northbound Parker to eastbound Orchard Avenue into a through lane and add a right turn lane. The northbound through lane will extend to the Chambers Road intersection. Piney Creek Channel and Trail Improvements – This project involves the stabilization of Piney Creek east of Buckley Road and the installation of a new pedestrian bridge and trail connection between Buckley Road and Waco Street on the south side of Orchard Avenue. Arapahoe Road Widening and Improvements, Waco to Himalaya – This project will widen the current two-lane section of Arapahoe Road between Waco Road and Himalaya Way to six lanes. Arapahoe Road is currently six lanes on both sides of the project. Conceptual design is currently in progress, although there is no funding for construction. Intersection Improvements, Broncos Parkway/Peoria Street – This project, currently under construction, will improve the alignment and install a traffic signal at the Broncos Parkway/Peoria Street intersection. Peoria Street, which serves as the main access of Centennial Airport, will be realigned to a defined t-intersection with Broncos Parkway. Cherry Creek Trail Construction - Short-term plans are in progress to extend the Cherry Creek trail from the Norton Open Space, in the Town of Parker, north to Broncos Parkway. This project is being sponsored by City of Centennial. The improvement is one segment of the ultimate planned recreation trail along Cherry Creek. Cottonwood Bridge Improvements – This project will construct a second two-lane bridge across Cherry Creek as part of the ultimate four-lane section of Cottonwood Drive. This bridge will be constructed as demand for the four-lane section increases, planned within the 2012 timeframe. Cottonwood Extension, Jordan to Chambers – This project will extend Cottonwood Drive from Jordan Road to Chambers Road. It will initially be constructed as two lanes of an ultimate four-lane section. This section of roadway is expected to be open by 2009. Arapahoe/Parker Interchange Improvements – A grade-separated interchange improvement at this high volume intersection of SH 83 and SH88 was defined in the 1601 System and Project Level Feasibility Study completed and approved by the Colorado Transportation
35 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Commission in 1997. The subsequent Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact were approved by CDOT and FHWA in 1999. The existing triple right turn lanes are part of the ultimate interchange ramp configuration. CDOT and Arapahoe County have initiated an effort for final design of the ultimate grade-separated interchange. The ultimate interchange design is characterized by: x Parker Road passing over Arapahoe Road x Loop ramp to serve the eastbound Arapahoe Road to northbound Parker Road movement x Two-way “Ring” road in the southeast quadrant of the interchange Currently, $29.7 million in funding is earmarked for the interchange, which will allow design, phased improvements, and right-of-way acquisition. Construction will occur in the future as funding is available. The north portion of the “Ring” road is complete. The soundwall along Parker Road is scheduled to be completed in Summer 2008 and the rest of the “Ring” road is scheduled for completion in Summer 2009.
36 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Figure 13. Area Transportation Projects
Figure 13. Area Transportation Projects
37 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Transit Service Existing transit service in the Parker Road corridor study area is composed of bus routes along the study corridor between Hampden Avenue and E-470 with light rail routes and call-n-Ride service adjacent to the study area boundaries. All three of these elements are operated by the Regional Transportation District (RTD), the Denver metropolitan area’s transit agency. The study corridor is served by a number of routes, each with only a few bus stops directly on Parker Road. These bus routes travel along Parker Road, but there is no service route that operates along the entire length of Parker Road within the study area.
Current Transit
Facilities There are 11 park-n-Rides and/or Light Rail Transit (LRT) stations located in or very near the Parker Road regional study area. The locations of these facilities are illustrated in Figure 14 at the end of this section. x I-25/I-225 LRT Stations Belleview Station (I-25 & Quebec St) Orchard Station (I-25 & Greenwood Plaza Blvd) Arapahoe at Village Center Station (Caley Ave & Yosemite St) Dry Creek Station (I-25 & Dry Creek Rd) County Line Station (I-25 & S. Valley Hwy) Lincoln Station (I-25 & Park Meadows Dr) Dayton Station (I-225 & Dayton St) Nine-Mile Station/park-n-Ride (I-225 & Parker Rd) x Other RTD Bus park-n-Rides Smoky Hill – Picadilly park-n-Ride (Smoky Hill Rd & Picadilly St) Lincoln/Jordan park-n-Ride (Lincoln Ave & Jordan Rd) Parker park-n-Ride (Parker Rd/SH 83 & Longs Way) Two of these park-n-Rides/stations directly serve Parker Road: Nine Mile Station and Parker park-n-Ride. Another transit facility, the Arapahoe Crossing Transfer Center (located at the Arapahoe Crossing Mall at Parker Rd and Lewiston Way), serves transit users on Parker Road. Nine Mile Station/park-n-Ride - The Nine Mile Station/park-n-Ride is located approximately one mile north of Hampden Avenue at I-225 and Parker Road. It serves two light rail lines, as well as several connecting bus routes and a call-n-Ride. It serves the following routes: x Light Rail Lines: G and H x Local Bus Routes: 35, 79, 121, 130, 131,133, 135, and 139 x Limited Bus Routes: 83 Ltd x SkyRide Bus Routes: AT x call-n-Rides: Aurora call-n-Ride
38 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Parker park-n-Ride - The Parker park-n-Ride is located approximately two miles south of E-470 at Parker Rd and Longs Way. It serves several bus routes and a call-n-Ride. It serves the following routes: x Local Bus Routes: 153 and 410 x Regional Bus Routes: P x call-n-Rides: Parker call-n-Ride Arapahoe Crossing Transfer Stop - The Arapahoe Crossing Transfer Center is located within the Parker Road study area at Parker Road and Arapahoe Road. It serves three routes: Local Route 153, Local Route 66, and Limited Route 169L. The pedestrian environment adjacent to the Arapahoe Crossing Transfer Stop is generally good and detached sidewalks are provided along the east side of Parker Road. Because the Arapahoe Road/Parker Road intersection experiences very high traffic volumes and the roadway geometry is complex, transferring between bus routes at this location can require transit users to walk a distance between stops across heavy and high speed traffic. Consequently, this location can present safety issues for pedestrians transferring bus routes. Other Transit Stops Along Parker Rd - In addition to the Arapahoe Crossing Transfer Center described above, there are nine transit stops along Parker Road within the project study area. x Parker Rd & Lehigh Ave x Parker Rd & Atchison Way x Parker Rd & Quincy Ave x Parker Rd & Orchard Rd x Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center at Parker Rd & Lewiston Way x Parker Rd & Jamison Ave x Parker Rd & Long Ave x Parker Rd & Ponderosa Ave x Parker Rd & Cottonwood Dr Sidewalks are provided in the vicinity of all of these stops, although sidewalks are generally only available on one side of the street. Pedestrians traveling along Parker Road can encounter problems with short walk cycles at signalized crossings, limited crossing locations, and high vehicle speeds.
Bus and Light Rail Routes Five bus routes run along Parker Road and serve transit stops on Parker Road within the study area. Route maps for the bus routes are included in Appendix F. Bus Routes that Serve Stops on Parker Road - Five bus routes run along Parker Rd and serve stops on Parker Rd. Local routes 66, 135, 139, 153, and 169L serve Parker Rd. Table 19 outlines key operating characteristics for all routes that run along Parker Road. No light rail routes operate along Parker Road.
39 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Table 19. Operating Characteristics for Bus Routes on Parker Rd Route Days of Weekday Begin Weekday End Peak Off-Peak Service Time Time Frequency Frequency 66 Daily departs 5:27 am last trip arrives at 10 to 20 min. 30 min. from Arapahoe 9:52 pm at Community Arapahoe College Crossing 66 Ext. Weekdays departs 5:27 am last trip arrives at 30 min. N/A from Arapahoe 6:19 pm at Peak Service Community Cherokee Trails Only College High School 135 Daily departs 5:10 am last trip arrives at 30 min. 60 min. from Southlands 10:42 pm at Nine Mall Mile Station 139 Daily departs 4:37 am last trip arrives at 30 min. 60 min. from Smoky Hill – 10:28 pm at Picadilly pnR Smoky Hill – Picadilly pnR 153 Daily departs 4:11 am last trip arrives at 30 min. 30 min. from Montbello 12:18 am at pnR Arapahoe Crossing 153 Ext Weekdays departs 5:19 am last trip arrives at 60 min. 60 to 70 min. from Colfax 6:27 pm at Parker Ave/Sable Blvd pnR 169L Daily departs 3:48 am last trip arrives at 30 to 50 min. 60 min. to 5 from Arapahoe 11:04 pm at hours Crossing Arapahoe Crossing Source: RTD Route 66 (Arapahoe Crosstown) Route 66 connects the Arapahoe Community College (Church Avenue & Prince Street in Littleton) with local service to the Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center (Arapahoe Road & Parker Road). The Route 66 Extension runs selected trips from Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center to Arapahoe Road and Smoky Hill Road via Arapahoe Road. x Key Locations Served by Route 66: Littleton Downtown Station (near Santa Fe & Alamo) Southglenn park-n-Ride Kaiser Hospital Arapahoe at Village Center Station Arapahoe County Justice Center (near Fremont Place & Potomac Street) Centennial Medical Center (near Arapahoe Road & Jordan Road) Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center Arapahoe Crossing Transfer Stop Regis High School
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x Key Locations Served by Route 66 Extension (selected trips only): Arapahoe Crossing Transfer Stop Grandview High School Cherokee Trails High School Route 66 operates weekdays and weekends and Route 66 Extension operates weekdays only. RTD’s Service Performance 2006 report indicates that Route 66 (classified as a Suburban Local route) achieved an average of 21.6 boardings per hour along the entire route length. Additional ridership data describing boardings on Route 66 was obtained during RTD’s recent Ridecheck Survey (August 2007) and is summarized in Appendix F. This sample data suggests that on average there were 105 boardings at the stop serving Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center and five boardings at the Arapahoe Road & Parker Road stop. Route 135 (Smoky Hill Road) Route 135 connects Nine Mile Station/park-n-Ride to the Southlands Mall in Aurora (Smoky Hill Road and S. Aurora Parkway). Route 135 serves the following key locations: x Nine Mile Station/park-n-Ride x Parker Road & Quincy Avenue x Smoky Hill High School x Smoky Hill – Picadilly park-n-Ride x Southlands Mall Route 135 operates weekdays and weekends. RTD’s Service Performance 2006 report indicates that Route 135 (classified as a Suburban Local route) achieved an average of 9.3 boardings per hour along the entire route length. Additional ridership data suggests that on average, there were between three and ten boardings on Route 135 at stops along Parker Road. Route 139 (Quincy) Route 139 connects Nine Mile Station/park-n-Ride to the Smoky Hill – Picadilly park-n-Ride. Route 139 serves the following key locations: x Nine Mile Station/park-n-Ride x Parker Road & Quincy Avenue x Smoky Hill – Picadilly park-n-Ride Route 139 operates weekdays and weekends. RTD’s Service Performance 2006 report indicates that Route 139 (classified as a Suburban Local route) achieved an average of 15.4 boardings per hour along the entire route length. Additional ridership data suggests that on average, there were between one and five boardings on Route 139 at stops along Parker Road. Route 153 (Chambers Crosstown) Route 153 connects Montbello park-n-Ride (51st Avenue & Peoria Street) with local service to Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center. Route 153 Extension runs selected trips from Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center to the Parker park-n-Ride.
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x Key Locations Served by Route 153: Gateway Park Airport Blvd & 40th Ave park-n-Ride Hinley High School Town Center at Aurora Smoky Hill High School Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center Arapahoe Crossing Transfer Stop Regis High School x Key Locations Served by Route 153 Extension (selected trips only): Arapahoe Crossing Transfer Stop Parker Adventist Hospital Parker park-n-Ride Route 153 operates weekdays and weekends and Route 153 Extension operates weekdays only. RTD’s Service Performance 2006 report indicates that Route 153 (classified as an Urban Local route) achieved an average of 33.0 boardings per hour along the entire route length. Additional ridership data suggests that on average there were less than six boardings on Route 153 and Route 153 Extension at stops along Parker Road, except for the stop serving Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center, which exhibited an average of 82 boardings. Route 169L (Buckley/Tower DIA Limited) Route 169L connects Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center (at Arapahoe Road & Parker Road) to Denver International Airport (DIA). Route 169L serves the following key locations: x Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center x Friendly Village x DIA Route 169L operates weekdays and weekends. RTD’s Service Performance 2006 report indicates that Route 169L (classified as a Suburban Local route) achieved an average of 29.0 boardings per hour along the entire route length. Additional ridership data suggests that on average there were five boardings at the stop serving Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center. Bus Routes that Connect to Transit Facilities on Parker Road - In addition to those routes that directly serve Parker Road, several bus routes serve the regional study area at the Nine Mile Station/park-n-Ride and the Parker park-n-Ride. Maps of these bus routes are included in Appendix F and are summarized briefly in Table 20. x Bus routes that serve the Nine Mile Station/park-n-Ride: Local Bus Routes: 35, 79, 121, 130, 131,133, 135, and 139 Limited Bus Routes: 83 Ltd SkyRide Bus Routes: AT x Bus routes that serve the Parker park-n-Ride: Local Bus Routes: 153 and 410
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Regional Bus Routes: P Table 20. Bus Routes that Connect to Transit Facilities on Parker Road Route Termini Streets Traveled by Route Primary Locations Served (in addition to termini) 35 Wadsworth/Hampden Hampden Ave Englewood Station, Englewood Hampden park-n-Ride and Nine Mile City Center, Craig and Swedish Crosstown Station hospitals, and the Southmoor LRT Station 79 Alameda Station (Cherokee I-25, Florida St, Quebec Way, Louisiana-Pearl and University of East Florida St & Alaska Pl) and Nine Havana St, and Parker Rd Denver LRT stations Mile Station 121 Ulster & Tufts stop and I-225, Peoria St, East 32nd Ave, Nine Mile LRT Station, Overland Peoria Montbello park-n-Ride and Smith Rd High School, Prairie Middle Crosstown (Peoria St & Albrook Dr) School, South Middle School, Aurora Central High School, Fitzsimmons campus, and North Middle School 130 Nine Mile Station and the Peoria St, Yale Ave, Buckley Olympic park-n-Ride, Aurora Yale / Town Center at Aurora Rd, Mississippi Ave, Sable Main Post Office, and Buckley (Alameda Dr & Alameda Blvd, Alameda Pkwy, Buckley Community College of Aurora Pkwy); Route 130 Extension Rd, and Centretech Pkwy runs select trips between the Town Center at Aurora and Centretech Office Park (Centretech Pkwy & Centretech Circle) 131 Nine Mile Station and Peoria St, Iliff Ave, Evans Ave, Rangeview High School East Iliff / Flanders & Jewell stop and Jewell Ave Seven Hills 133 Nine Mile Station and the Parker Rd, Hampden Ave, Hampden / Town Center at Aurora Tower Rd, and Alameda Tower Pkwy 83Ltd Nine Mile Station and Civic Parker Rd, Alameda Ave, 1st Platt College, George Cherry Center Station (16th St & Ave, Speer Blvd, and Washington High School, Cherry Creek / Broadway) Lincoln/Broadway Creek Shopping Center and Parker Rd Cherry Creek North Limited AT Littleton Mineral Station Santa Fe, C-470, I-25, C-470 & S. University park-n- Arapahoe (Santa Fe & Mineral Ave) Yosemite St, Denver Tech Ride, Arapahoe at Village Center County / and DIA Center Blvd, I-225, Colfax LRT Station, Ulster & Tufts stop, DIA Ave, and Pena Blvd Nine Mile LRT Station, East Metro Division, and Airport Blvd & 40th Ave park-n-Ride 410 Pinery park-n-Ride (Parker Parker Rd, Mainstreet, and Parker park-n-Ride and the Franktown / Rd & Pinery Pkwy) and Lincoln Ave Lincoln & Jordan park-n-Ride Parker Lincoln Station (Park Meadows Dr & I-25)
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Route Termini Streets Traveled by Route Primary Locations Served (in addition to termini) P Pinery park-n-Ride and Parker Rd Lincoln Ave, and I- Parker park-n-Ride, the Lincoln & Franktown / Civic Center Station; Route 25 Jordan park-n-Ride, and Parker / P Extension runs selected Meridian Office Park Denver trips between Pinery park- n-Ride and Franktown Elementary School Light Rail Lines that Connect to Transit Facilities on Parker Road - Two light rail lines (lines G and H) serve the Parker Road regional study area at the Nine Mile Station/park-n-Ride. These light rail lines are summarized briefly in Table 21. The RTD light rail system map is included in Appendix F. Table 21. Light Rail Lines that Connect to Transit Facilities on Parker Rd Route Termini Primary Locations Served Peak Off-Peak (in addition to termini) Frequency Frequency G Lincoln Station (Lincoln Ave County Line, Dry Creek, 30 min. 60 min. & I-25) and Nine Mile Station Arapahoe at Village Center, (I-225 & Parker Rd) Orchard, Belleview, and Dayton LRT stations H Nine Mile Station and Dayton, Southmoor, Yale, 15 min. 30 to 60 min. Downtown Denver (18th St & Colorado, University of California St) Denver, Louisiana-Pearl, I- 25-Broadway, Alameda, Colfax at Auraria, and Convention Center LRT stations
Automatic Passenger Counts conducted by RTD during the period from August 20, 2007 to January 11, 2008 indicates that Nine Mile Station/park-n-Ride is the 7th-most utilized station in the RTD light rail system, with a total of 5,020 average weekday boardings and alightings. Nine Mile Station/park-n-Ride is ranked third amongst light rail stations that are outside of downtown Denver, behind the Englewood and Littleton/Mineral stations.
Call-n-Ride Service Call-n-Ride service is used in many areas as an alternate strategy to fixed route RTD bus service. It provides convenient demand responsive service within a specific geographic area. Passengers call up to two weeks ahead of time for pick-up and are delivered directly to their destination within the service area. There is no call-n-Ride service provided within the Parker Road Corridor Study area. However, the Parker call-n-Ride service area is located just south of the study area. The service area contains several activity centers including Parker Adventist Hospital, Parker Health Care Center, Sierra Middle school, Pine Lane School, Core Knowledge Charter School, Pioneer Elementary School, Frontier Valley Elementary School, Iron Horse Elementary School, Parker Town Hall, Parker Senior Center, Parker Library, Police Station, and a number of retail businesses. The Parker call-n-Ride operates Monday through Friday from 5:30 am to 8:00 pm, and on Saturdays from 9 am to 6 pm. The call-n-Ride does not operate on Sundays and holidays.
44 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Ridership data for the Parker call-n-Ride is included in RTD’s Service Performance 2006 report, which outlines the performance of all RTD routes and call-n-Rides for 2006. The Parker call-n- Ride, which was implemented with the T-REX service plan in November 2006, had an average of 0.8 boardings per hour. Additional ridership data identified 35.5 average weekday boardings, which is higher than average hourly boardings reported for year 2006. Overall ridership data for year 2007 is necessary to determine whether use of the Parker call-n-Ride is increasing.
Observations Related to Transit Service Productivity Some key observations can be made about the productivity of transit within the Parker Road corridor based on ridership data that has been collected. The first source of ridership data is the RTD Service Performance 2006 report, which outlines the performance of all RTD routes and call-n-Rides for 2006. The second source is RTD’s August 2007 Ridecheck Survey, which identifies the average number of weekday boardings by stop for a limited sample period. Observations regarding ridership on routes that serve stops on Parker Rd (routes 66, 135, 139, 153, and 169L), boardings at stops along Parker Rd, and use of the Parker call-n-Ride are summarized below. Ridership on Routes that Serve Stops on Parker Road - RTD defines routes by service class based on operating characteristics and the target user market. Two service classes are represented by routes that operate on Parker Road: Suburban Local and Urban Local. Table 22 provides the average boardings per hour for Suburban Local and Urban Local service classes (as reported in the Service Performance 2006 report. Table 23 reports the average boardings per hour for the entire length of the route for all five routes that run on Parker Road, as well as the percent difference between the route’s average boardings and the corresponding service class’ average boardings. This percent difference offers a comparison between the service performances of routes that run on Parker Road to other similar routes in the RTD system. It should be noted that this data represents ridership for the entire route, not just the segment along Parker Road. Table 22. Average Weekday Boardings for Service Classes across All RTD Routes Service Class Average Daily Boardings/hr (weekday) for Service Class Across All RTD Routes (2006) Suburban Local 15.7 Urban Local 28.9 Source: Service Performance 2006 report, RTD, November 2007
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Table 23. Average Weekday Boardings for Routes on Parker Road Route Service Class Average Daily Boardings/hr Percent Difference between (weekday) on Entire Length of Route Boardings/hr and Average Route (2006) Service Class Boardings/hr 66 Suburban Local 21.6 +37.6% 135 Suburban Local 9.3 -40.8% 139 Suburban Local 15.4 -1.9% 153 Urban Local 33.0 +14.2% 169L Suburban Local 29.0 +84.7% Source: Service Performance 2006 report, RTD, November 2007 This data indicates that three routes performed better than the average for their service class in 2006, and two performed worse. Routes 66 (Suburban Local), 153 (Urban Local), and 169L (Suburban Local) all performed better than their service class in 2006. Route 169L performed best, at 84.7% better than the average for the Suburban Local class. Routes 135 and 139 (Suburban Locals) both performed below average for their service class in 2006. Route 135 underperformed to the greatest extent, at 40.8% less than the average Suburban Local. These statistics suggest that transit along Parker Road has mixed productivity. The two routes that exhibit the highest ridership levels (routes 66 and 169L) provide minimal service to Parker Road. Route 66 has only two stops along Parker Road (Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center and Arapahoe Road/Parker Road) and Route 169L has only one stop along Parker Road at Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center. Route 169L, which connects Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center to DIA with service along Buckley Road, exhibits the highest level of ridership. This route travels on Parker Road between Arapahoe Road and Lewiston Way and has two stops on Parker Road. Route 66 also exhibits a high level of ridership. This route connects Arapahoe Community College/Littleton Downtown Station to Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center and Cherokee Trails High School. Like Route 169L, Route 66 only travels along Parker Road between Arapahoe Road and Lewiston Way and provides two stops on Parker Road. Route 153, the primary route along Parker Road, demonstrates moderate ridership based on average boardings per hour for the entire length of the route. This route runs along Parker Road between Orchard Road and Mainstreet and connects Montbello park-n-Ride to Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center and Parker park-n-Ride. Although this route provides the most service to Parker Road of all routes, it does not operate along the entire length of Parker Road within the study area, nor does it provide service to Nine Mile Station/park-n- Ride. The data reported by the RTD August 2007 Ridecheck Survey indicates that boardings at stops along Parker Road range from very low to moderate. Boardings at Stops along Parker Road - The most recent RTD Ridecheck Surveys (August 2007) provide insight into the productivity of stops along Parker Road. Nine Mile Station/park-n- Ride is clearly the most productive stop, with upwards of 500 combined daily boardings on routes 135 and 139. RTD data indicates that an average of 98% of parking space capacity at Nine Mile Station/park-n-Ride was used from September 2006 to September 2007. The high productivity of this station is not surprising, since Nine Mile Station/park-n-Ride is the most well-served transit facility in the Parker Road corridor and allows overnight parking for the
46 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 SkyRide Route AT. This station provides access to several bus routes and two light rail lines. The Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center (near Parker Road & Lewiston Way) demonstrated the second highest number of boardings (a total of 82). Transit users boarding at this stop likely use this stop because of its proximity to the shopping center, or because they are transferring between routes. Excluding Nine Mile Station/park-n-Ride and the Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center stop, recent RTD Ridecheck data (August 2007) suggests that stops along Parker Road are poorly utilized. Two stops exhibited between 10 and 15 average daily boardings and 20 stops exhibited less than 10 boardings. Of those 20 stops, five had no boardings at all. The Parker park-n-Ride demonstrated low utilization at an average of 13 daily boardings. RTD data indicates that an average of 41% of parking space capacity at Parker park-n-Ride was used from September 2006 to September 2007. The low number of boardings at stops along Parker Road is likely a result of several factors. Existing commercial, retail, and residential land uses generally exhibit very low densities. Low densities tend to generate low ridership, and are typically unsupportive of transit service. Parker Road also presents operational and physical issues for transit service due to high vehicle speeds, roadway geometry that limit opportunities for transit stops, and minimal or lengthy pedestrian connections. Ridership on Parker call-n-Ride - Table 24 outlines the number of average daily boardings per hour for all call-n-Rides in the general vicinity of the Parker Road corridor, including the Parker call-n-Ride, as reported in the Service Performance 2006 report. The Parker call-n-Ride exhibited the lowest number of boardings per hour (0.8) in 2006, 83.0% less than the average for all call-n-Rides in the RTD system (4.7 boardings/hr). The Parker call-n-Ride, along with the Highlands Ranch call-n-Ride, was reported to have the fewest boardings of all call-n-Rides in the RTD system. The majority of call-n-Rides in proximity to the Parker Road corridor are below average, with the exception of the Arapahoe and Orchard call-n-Rides. These two services far exceed the average for all services in the RTD system. Unlike the Parker call-n-Ride, the Arapahoe and Orchard call-n-Rides serve light rail station stops.
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Table 24. Average Boardings for call-n-Rides in Proximity to Parker Road Corridor call-n-Ride (cnR) Average Percent Difference between cnR and Boardings/hr (2006) average for all cnR in the RTD System Average for all call-n-Rides in RTD system 4.7 -- Arapahoe cnR 16.5 +250% Aurora cnR 3.2 -31.9% Dry Creek cnR 2.3 -51.1 Lone Tree cnR 2.0 -57.4% Meridian cnR 4.0 -14.9% North Inverness cnR 3.7 -21.3% Orchard cnR 8.7 +85.1% Parker cnR 0.8 -83.0% South Inverness cnR 2.7 -42.6% Source: Service Performance 2006 report, RTD, November 2007
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Figure 14. Existing Transit Services
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Pedestrian and Bicycle Existing Conditions Pedestrian and bicycle conditions along and near Parker Road were inventoried for this study. The existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities are shown in Figure 15. In general it was found that pedestrian facilities are of mixed types along the corridor including attached and detached sidewalks of differing widths and that the facilities in the corridor were predominantly on the east side of Parker Road and in the northern half of the study corridor. Pedestrian facilities between Arapahoe Road and E-470 along Parker Road are generally non- existent with the exception of several recently developed parcels with Parker Road frontage. There are few bicycle routes in the area. Parker Road itself is not desirable for bicycling today due to its high speed and high traffic volumes, although it does have a paved shoulder on both sides for a large portion of the study corridor. Sidewalks along Parker Road are not wide enough or continuous enough to accommodate both pedestrians and bicyclists. Sidewalks are generally not recommended for bicycle use unless they can run uninterrupted for long stretches without encountering intersecting streets or curb cuts. Pedestrian Conditions Along Parker Road A detailed field inventory of existing pedestrian facilities and their condition along and across Arapahoe Road was completed. Observations on the existing pedestrian system along Parker Road are listed below. In order to minimize interruption to vehicular traffic along Parker Road, the pedestrian crossing times for crossing Parker Road have been set to the MUTCD minimums and all pedestrian phases are actuated. Crossing locations with notable pedestrian activity include the Quincy Avenue intersection where pedestrians and bicyclists cross Parker Road to access a nearby gate to Cherry Creek State Park. North of Quincy Avenue - There are generally continuous attached sidewalks on the east side of Parker Road north of Quincy Avenue. On the west side, the Cherry Creek Trail provides north-south pedestrian and bicycle movement relatively adjacent and parallel to Parker Road. Between Quincy Avenue and Fair Avenue - In this section the Cherry Creek Trail diverges from the Parker Road alignment more significantly to the west so it provides less of a substitute sidewalk function for Parker Road. There is a mix of attached and detached sidewalk along both sides of Parker Road in this section with significant gaps on both sides of the roadway. Between Fair Avenue and Orchard Road - This section has no sidewalk on the west side of Parker Road and a discontinuous detached sidewalk on the east side that has recently been installed with new development. Between Orchard Avenue and Arapahoe Road - This section has no sidewalk on the west side of Parker Road and a discontinuous detached sidewalk on the east side that has recently been installed with new development. Between Arapahoe Road and E-470 - The only sidewalk existing in this section today is a small piece on the southwest corner of the Broncos Parkway/Parker Road intersection that leads to a RTD bus stop and a new stretch of detached sidewalk in the northeast corner of the E- 470/Parker Road interchange.
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Figure 15. Existing Bike and Pedestrian Facilities
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Pedestrian Conditions at Signalized Intersections Parker Road presents a significant barrier for pedestrians and bicyclists to cross along its entire length in the study area. Pedestrian and bicycle crossings are only possible at signalized intersections or grade separated crossings and there are long distances that separate these crossing opportunities. Even at signalized locations, the width of Parker Road and the high level of vehicular traffic, especially turning movements, results in difficult crossings for pedestrians and bicyclists. Additionally, there is a high demand for pedestrian and bicycle access to Cherry Creek State Park (CCSP) from the residential areas on the east side of Parker Road. An inventory of pedestrian facilities and accommodations at signalized intersections along Parker Road from I-225 to E-470 was conducted and is described below. In addition the interchanges at Vaughn Way, Hampden Avenue, and E-470 were inventoried and evaluated. Grade Separated crossings in the inventoried area of Parker Road exist at the Vaughn Way and Hampden Avenue interchanges, and at Tollgate Creek just south of Orchard Road. Vaughn Way/Parker Road Interchange - This recent improvement provides access to the CCSP side of Parker Road from the hotel and commercial areas on the north. The interchange has two signalized intersections, one on the northeast and one on the southwest side of Parker Road. Sidewalk is included on all sides at both intersections and pedestrian push buttons, pedestrian, heads, and curb ramps have been provided for all crossings except for the northeast approach of the southwest intersection of Vaughn Way/Cherry Creek State Park Road. Pedestrians are not allowed to cross on this approach of the T- intersection because of traffic conditions. This restriction does not cause much inconvenience since pedestrians have no roadway approach to cross in the southwest/CCSP side of the intersection. A pathway leads south from the intersection into CCSP.
Hampden Avenue/Parker Road Interchange - This recent improvement provides pedestrians and bicyclists a grade separated crossing of Parker Road and connects the Cherry Creek Spillway Trail on the northeast to CCSP and the Cherry Creek Trail on the west.
52 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 An underpass of the westbound Hampden Avenue to northbound Parker Road ramp has also been provided. All other allowed pedestrian crossings of Hampden and the ramps/frontage roads occur at grade. Signalized at grade crossings occur on the frontage road and at the single point urban interchange intersection under Parker Road. Pedestrian push buttons and signal heads are located at these crossings. An unsignalized at grade crossing is located on the northbound Parker Road to eastbound Hampden Avenue ramp and is marked by a crosswalk.
Parker Road/Lehigh Avenue - This signalized intersection provides direct access to CCSP from residential areas to the east. Pedestrian crossings are allowed on all approaches. There is a free right lane on the west approach that pedestrians cross in an unsignalized condition to a refuge island. Pedestrian push buttons, signal heads, and curb ramps are provided on all approaches and corners. The crossing of Parker Road is approximately 110 feet wide, which results in a pedestrian crossing time of 27.5 seconds at 4 feet per second. The only equipment deficiencies noted were that the pedestrian push button on the southwest corner for crossing the west approach is difficult to reach, especially for a wheel chair user. There is an RTD bus stop on the west side of Parker Road north of the intersection that is connected to the intersection by a sidewalk. Parker Road/Quincy Avenue - This signalized intersection also provides direct access to CCSP from residential areas to the east. However, a pedestrian crossing is not provided on the north approach due to the southbound triple left turn lanes and the westbound double right turn lanes. Since the path into CCSP is on the northwest corner of the intersection, this results in significant inconvenience for pedestrians that want to travel between CCSP and destinations on the northeast side of the intersection. Pedestrian push buttons, signal heads, and curb ramps are provided on all of the other intersection approaches and corners. The crossing of Parker Road is approximately 120 feet wide, which results in a pedestrian crossing time of 30 seconds at 4 feet per second. No equipment deficiencies were noted. There is no sidewalk on the west side on the intersection
53 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 heading north. There is an RTD bus stop on the east side of Parker Road north of the intersection that is connected to the intersection by a sidewalk. Parker Road/Temple Drive - This intersection provides direct access to the Shop Creek Trail and CCSP from residential areas to the east. Pedestrian crossings are allowed on all approaches. Pedestrian push buttons, signal heads, and curb ramps are provided all of the intersection approaches and corners. The crossing of Parker Road is approximately 95 feet wide, which results in a pedestrian crossing time of 23.75 seconds at 4 feet per second. No equipment deficiencies were noted. Parker Road/Belleview Avenue - Pedestrian crossings are allowed on all of the intersection approaches. Pedestrian push buttons, signal heads, and curb ramps are provided all approaches and corners. However, no sidewalk exists on the southwest corner except for the curb ramp and the sidewalk ends on the east side of Parker Road just south of the intersection. Because of the large curb radii and the skewed crossing on the south approach, the crossing of Parker Road here is approximately 130 feet wide which results in a pedestrian crossing time of 32.5 seconds at 4 feet per second. No equipment deficiencies were noted. Belleview Avenue east of Parker Road is a designated bike route.
Parker Road/Chambers Avenue - This is a T-intersection without a west approach. A pedestrian crossing is not provided on the south leg. Pedestrian push buttons, signal heads, and curb ramps are provided on all other intersection approaches and corners. No sidewalk exists on the west side of Parker Road, although a wide paved shoulder is provided. There is also the very popular 12-Mile Trailhead for CCSP that is directly west of the intersection, but is separated by game fencing and a steep grade and is not accessible from the intersection.
54 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 The pedestrian crossing of Parker Road is approximately 100 feet wide, which results in a pedestrian crossing time of 25 seconds at 4 feet per second. No equipment deficiencies were noted. There is an RTD bus stop located on the south side of Chambers Road east of Parker Road connected to the intersection by a sidewalk. Parker Road/Orchard Avenue - This is a very large and busy intersection with free right turn lanes on all approaches. A pedestrian crossing is not provided on the south leg due to heavy turning movements across the approach. Pedestrian push buttons, signal heads, and curb ramps are provided on all other intersection approaches and corners. Pedestrians are required to cross the free right lanes to refuge islands in an unsignalized condition. No sidewalk exists on the northwest corner except for the curb ramp. There is also no sidewalk on the west side of Parker Road south of the intersection, despite the location of an RTD bus stop on the west side of Parker Road south of where the sidewalk ends. This intersection is the access point to the popular 12-Mile Trailhead for CCSP. The crossing of Parker Road is approximately 125 feet wide, which results in a pedestrian crossing time of 31.25 seconds at 4 feet per second. No equipment deficiencies were noted.
Parker Road/Fair Avenue/Lewiston Way - This signalized intersection has a free right for southbound to westbound vehicles. Pedestrian push buttons, signal heads, and curb ramps are provided on all intersection approaches and corners. Pedestrians are required to cross the free right lane on the northwest corner to a refuge island in an unsignalized condition. No sidewalk exists on the southwest or northeast corners except for the curb ramps. There is also no sidewalk on the west side of Parker Road north of the intersection. Due to the skewed crossing of the south approach and lack of pedestrian
55 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 refuge area on the southwest corner, the crossing of Parker Road here is approximately 136 feet wide, which results in a pedestrian crossing time of 34 seconds at 4 feet per second. No equipment deficiencies were noted. Parker Road/Arapahoe Road - This is a very large and busy intersection for motor vehicles with significant restriction on pedestrian movements and facilities at this time. This intersection was recently improved for vehicle movements, especially turning movements between Parker Road and Arapahoe Road to the west. There is a three-lane signal-controlled separate right turn bypass of the intersection for southbound Parker Road to westbound Arapahoe Road and multiple left turn lanes on all approaches. Pedestrians are not allowed to cross the north or west legs of the intersection due to the extremely high turning movements across these approaches and signal timing limitations. No sidewalk exists on Arapahoe Road west of the intersection or on the northwest or southwest corners of the intersection. There is sidewalk on the east side of Parker Road north and south of the intersection and on the north side of Arapahoe Road east of the intersection. There is a small width of sidewalk on the south side of Arapahoe Road east of the intersection but it is unusable due to the elevation difference and slope between the gas station elevation on the southwest corner and the elevation of Arapahoe Road in the same area. Pedestrian push buttons, signal heads, and curb ramps are provided on the northeast, southeast, and southwest corners. The crosswalk pavement markings across the south and east approaches are worn off. The crossing of Parker Road is approximately 136 feet wide, which results in a pedestrian crossing time of 34 seconds at 4 feet per second. No equipment deficiencies were noted. There is an RTD bus stop on the west side of Parker Road south of the intersection with no sidewalk to access it from the intersection. Parker Road/Broncos Parkway/Jamison Avenue - This is a very large and busy intersection for motor vehicles with restrictions on pedestrian movements and a lack of pedestrian facilities at this time. This intersection was recently improved for vehicle movements, particularly turning movements between Parker Road and Broncos Parkway to the west. A pedestrian crossing is not provided across the south approach of the intersection due to traffic conditions. No sidewalk exists on the east side of Parker road north and south of the intersection or on either
56 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 side of Jamison Avenue east of Parker Road, except for a curb ramp on the northeast corner. There is also no sidewalk on the west side of Parker Road north of the intersection. There is a short length of sidewalk on the west side of Parker Road south of the intersection to access an RTD bus stop. There are free right turn lanes for eastbound Broncos Parkway and southbound Parker Road that pedestrians cross in an unsignalized condition to a refuge island. Pedestrian push buttons, signal heads, and curb ramps are provided where pedestrians are allowed to cross. The crosswalk pavement markings across the north approach are worn off. The crossing of Parker Road is approximately 120 feet wide, which results in a pedestrian crossing time of 30 seconds at 4 feet per second. Equipment deficiencies were noted on the southwest corner refuge island where the pedestrian push button to cross the west approach is unreachable especially by wheel chair users.
Parker Road/Long Avenue - The west approach of this intersection is a driveway for a local business. Relatively low turning volumes occur at this intersection. This intersection contains no sidewalk and no curb ramps, and the west leg has no curb and gutter and no crosswalk markings. There is an RTD bus stop on the west side of Parker Road south of the intersection, although no sidewalk accesses it. Although pedestrians are not prohibited by signs from crossing the south or west approaches of the intersection, no pedestrian push buttons or signal heads are provided for crossing those approaches. Pedestrian push buttons and signal heads are provided for the other intersection approaches. The crossing of Parker Road is approximately 125 feet wide, which results in a pedestrian crossing time of 31.25 seconds at 4 feet per second. As stated above, equipment deficiencies were noted on the south and west approaches of the intersection where no pedestrian push buttons or signals are provided. There are also no curb ramps on the northeast or southeast corners.
57 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 Parker Road/Cottonwood Drive - This intersection has free right turn lanes for westbound Cottonwood Drive and northbound Parker Road. Pedestrians are required to cross these lanes in an unsignalized condition to a refuge island. Pedestrian push buttons, signal heads, and curb ramps are provided at all corners and across all intersection approaches. There is no sidewalk on the east or west side of Parker Road north of this intersection. The crossing of Parker Road is approximately 130 feet wide, which results in a pedestrian crossing time of 32.5 seconds at 4 feet per second. Equipment deficiencies noted were the pedestrian push button on the northeast refuge island for crossing the north approach is unreachable by wheel chair users. Also, the type of pedestrian channelization used in the refuge islands tends to collect debris.
Parker Road/Woodman Drive - This is a right-in/right-out intersection on the west approach and an interstate ramp on the east approach. Pedestrian facilities have been provided on the east side of Parker Road in this area, although no sidewalk exists on the west side. A pedestrian crossing is not provided across Parker Road on the south approach. Pedestrian push buttons, signal heads, curb ramps, and crosswalks have been provided for all other intersection approaches and corners. The intersection configuration and signal equipment is unique at this intersection. The crossing of Parker Road here is relatively short due to the provision of a central median refuge in Parker Road on the north approach.
Parker Road/E-470 Interchange - Pedestrian facilities have been provided on the east side of Parker Road through the interchange and pedestrians are prohibited from the west side. Where signals exist, pedestrian push buttons, signals heads, and curb ramps have been provided. There are several unsignalized at-grade crossings of freeway ramps where
58 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008 crosswalk markings worn off. The public has commented that the E-470 bike path ends just west of Parker Road on the south side of E-470 at the Cherry Creek Trail and people would like to see it extended. There may be a safety issue with extending the path across Parker Road without a grade separation in this area.
Regionally Significant Bike Paths
Cherry Creek State Park/Cherry Creek Regional Trail There are a number of recreational trails within Cherry Creek State Park. However, the Cherry Creek Regional Trail is the main north/south connector trail throughout the Parker Road study area. From this trail, bicyclists can connect with the complete Denver bike path system. The master plan for the Cherry Creek corridor calls for a trail extending from Confluence Park in downtown Denver to Castlewood Canyon south of Franktown. Two gaps currently exist in southern Arapahoe County. Officials in Arapahoe County and City of Centennial are working on the property issues, and one of those gaps may soon be closed. At the south end of Cherry Creek State Park, the trail ends. Riders can connect with the Town of Parker portion of the trail by riding south on Jordan Road for about three miles and then east on Cottonwood Drive. Public comments have been received regarding the need for the completion of this portion of the trail. The Town of Parker portion of the trail, which is approximately eight miles long, is the most significant trail resource in the Town, and extends from the Norton Farms Open Space in the north to Stroh Ranch Park in the south. Over the next several years, this trail will be extended to Cherry Creek State Park to the north and to Castlewood Canyon State Park to the south. Tollgate Creek Trail This trail runs generally north-south from Quincy Avenue past the north edge of the study area. It follows Tollgate Creek in this area and is generally east of Buckley Avenue in the study area. This trail provides connectivity to several regional trails outside of the study area, such as the High Line Canal Trail, Sand Creek Regional Greenway, and Westerly Creek. Cherry Creek Spillway Park Trail This trail makes an important connection between the Cherry Creek Trail and the Tollgate Creek trail. It connects with the Cherry Creek Trail near Parker Road and Hampden Avenue and runs northeast to connect with the Tollgate Creek Trail in Horseshoe Park near Mexico Drive and Chambers Road. This trail is grade separated from Parker Road but requires navigating the ramp traffic signal for the Parker Road/Hampden Avenue Interchange. Piney Creek Trail This trail provides east-west connectivity in the southern portion of the study area. It runs generally along Piney Creek from the Cherry Creek Trail east/southeast to E-470 and beyond. This trail is grade separated from Parker Road. There are many other local trails and parks that provide off street paths but that are more isolated in nature.
59 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
On-Street Bike Routes Bicycle Aurora produced an excellent Aurora/Parker Bike Route Map in 2006 that shows which major roadways in the study area are suitable for more regionally significant bicycling. These include: x Dartmouth Avenue between Chambers Road and Tower Road x Lewiston/Memphis Streets between Dartmouth Avenue and Buckley Road x Buckley Road between Mexico Avenue and Orchard Road x Orchard Road between Parker Road and Smoky Hill Road x Smoky Hill Road between Buckley Road and E-470 and beyond x Long Avenue/Arapahoe Road/Liverpool Street between Parker Road and Smoky Hill Road There are numerous local roads that are appropriate for bicycling but the roadways listed above are the backbone of the on-street regional bicycling system. There is no consistent or coordinated on-street route signing or designation in the study area either by jurisdiction or across jurisdictions.
60 Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Appendix A Major Drainage Features
Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Appendix B Traffic Count Data
Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Appendix C Existing Operational Analysis Reports
Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Appendix D Cherry Creek State Park Visitation Data
Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Appendix E Existing Land Use Refined Dataset
Existing Transportation Conditions Report February 2008
Appendix F Transit Route Maps and Schedules